What a cool looking shifter! Any chance you can share a wider pic of your interior? That is really nice
these were available up until a cple years ago...i think i bough the last few that were available from the factory at that point. not sure if theyre available today.
I did end up with the same rose joint cable ends like late 430's, because I later found that the rose joint is even cheaper, $0.5. I believe the thing in your light background photo is OEM. I tried to buy something like it but didn't find any.
Since we are talking about carbon shift knobs, I finally ordered the 2 more available ones so I could associate part number with knob: Ferrari 223131 = silver band Ferrari 223130 = red band The F50 one with just the embedded cavalino is NLA Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
A converted car just sold for $133k on BaT. Seems the market might finally be cooling. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2006-ferrari-f430-18/
I think you are partially right. The market as a whole has cooled a little, but the ability to convert a car in your garage with just a floor jack, some basic tools and some jack stands has impacted the converted market. Prior to the Dr. S. kit you were looking at a conversion price of about 30K+ out the door and a lot of time waiting for EAG. This was reflected in the converted car price. Before anyone says they converted their car for 15k with OEM parts in their garage, I'm talking about 2020 to 2022 when the prices skyrocketed and how most of the converted cars were completed. Now that it's no big deal to get your car converted from a cost and time basis, the premium went down and I expect the cost of a converted car vs a sorted F1 will be much closer. This should not affect the price of factory-gated cars as they won't be making more of those and over time the number of those will go down due to attrition (accidents, fire, ...).
I think your post raises some interesting points actually... 1. DIY Conversion Quality The quality of do-it-yourself (DIY) conversions is difficult to verify, as there is currently no means of certification and none of the traditional inspection reports have any focus or experience in vetting them. In contrast to established professional shops with prior experience. However, the availability of comprehensive documentation written by Dr. S, distributed by beta testers and other accounts, is notable for its potential to significantly enhance the quality of DIY conversions provided the person doing the work has skills and patience necessary to do a proper job. Improved documentation may prove essential for diagnosing faults and identifying remedies in the future, particularly as these DIY conversions continue to gain popularity. The challenge remains in determining the level of safety and quality of conversions completed in a DIY home garage, where a potential buyer may have inadequate insight into the conversion’s procedures and overall quality. While some DIY enthusiasts may possess the necessary skills and scrutinize their conversions with the utmost attention to detail, the first conversion ever done by an individual may pose a higher risk of mechanical issues that experience Ferrari mechanics would likely avoid. However, it is reassuring to observe that professional workshops, like AV Engineering in the UK, always maintain an advantage in this regard, prioritizing the absence of shortcuts that could lead to mechanical failures or compromise the engine’s longevity and safety. To enhance the safety and quality of conversions, it is important to avoid the use of inferior components, such as flawed clutch pumps and unsuitable fluids, and ensure that machined metal-to-metal contact parts undergo sufficient hardening and testing to withstand the expected stresses. This is of particular significance as the cheaper end Chinese kits and even smaller volume kits like Dr. S until they are proven and gain greater market share. 2. Software Conversion Factors There are numerous factors to consider when converting a vehicle to operate with gated software, particularly when simple and crude techniques such as "cross flashing" are employed and there is a failure to correctly match software to individual cars’ unique sensors and actuators and assembly number. This makes things considerably more risky to those without considerable experience and know how. Engaging inexperienced or generic tuners for the purpose of producing cheap or free firmware is strongly discouraged, as it can results in catastrophic outcomes. The current approach to this issue for the lower cost end of the market is highly concerning, as it absolves those responsible of responsibility by offering the software for ‘free’. Instead, it is recommended to prioritize proper conversion procedures to mitigate the risk of future mechanical failures or malfunctions, which can result from even a single incorrect sensor calibration. To this end, investing in top-tier conversion services may prove indispensable, despite the expenses involved. Just one wrong sensor calibration away from an overrev condition a 360 engine for example... 3. Total Price of Conversion When doing DIY people often don't consider their time as a 'cost' however I would argue if you are able to factor in your actual hours spent converting a vehicle, especially ironing out all the issues and making it perfect (or not) then the price will go up considerably. In some cases making the act of doing your own probably not worthwhile (only you can decide this, as other factors including the enjoyment of working on ones own car come into play here). I therefore think there will be a market for both conversions done by professional garages and the home DIY market but due to the above reasons the prices of DIY conversions will always carry a lower market value than either those done by accredited and well renowned shops vs DIY conversions done on a tight budget.
Not anymore... A 2006 F430 Spyder F1 with 14k miles in decent/sorted not perfect shape seems to be about the same price right now from a quick search. Unless there is something wrong with the last two cars that sold on Bring a Trailer or the resale market is saturated with conversions since the last two conversions (2005/2006 models) sold for around $130K.
Correct, with many conversions prices will come down. Some are making money with the opportunity and others are enjoying their car after spending 15-20K in converting to manual
Thoughts on full factory converted cars? Sure a lot of the main components are NLA but with enough time/patience/$ it's doable..
Possible that people are hesitant to jump into an EAG conversion. If buyers question a particular brand, the F1 baseline + conversion cost methodology isn't necessarily accurate. I'd guess most buyers of converted cars, particularly the ones bidding on online platforms, are interested/savvy enough to at least google it before double-clicking. Despite a number of happy customers, there are more than enough negatives out there to give a lot of people pause. It doesn't take much in terms of backing-out demand from the equation in such a small market to put pressure on pricing. Add to that the nature of an online auction where buyers need an additional layer of faith regarding the performance and quality of a car they can't put eyes on. EAG has certainly gotten beaten up, and that's just what the peanut-gallery knows from public commentary, so it wouldn't surprise me if there's influence in terms of the reputation.
I feel a lot of these converted cars are flips. They usually had their conversions done very recently. Why go through all that trouble just to sell it unless A. You’re trying to take advantage of the hot market for manuals (now seemingly gone) or B. There are problems with the conversion and you don’t feel like throwing more money at it. I would be hesitant to buy any of these and that might be the reason others are hesitant as well.
Thank you. Sure, more pics. My car has the complete carbon interior and carbon engine bay. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Mine is a 2006, but I have the metal ball ends you show, so the change must have happened when they ran out of the 360 style rubber ends they were using up <- not sure about that, total conjecture. Driving the conversion wasn’t a good comparison because as soon as I heard the clack-clack I think my mind decided it was different. It felt stiffer to get into gears, notchy-er some say, especially into 2nd. But it still gave the visceral experience and made my left foot happy with something to do. Also, during our FCA drive many people came up to me to “see the car that was lighting up the tires at take-off’s”. Launching off the line in a red Ferrari spider with a moderate spin and slight sideways approach makes me smile so much -it’s the main reason I would never give this car up. Joe Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
I do not believe that the recent drops and daily fluctuations in auction prices are due to the reputation of an individual Ferrari being a gated conversion or not. If you were to put up any manual gated Ferrari car for auction today (even a factory gated example), I suspect they would fetch a similar trend at this point in time. The root causes? There are many so difficult to assess with any certainty but certainly a contender may well be a reflection of the current financial market turmoil and perhaps not really an inflection point of supply meeting demand with regards to gated conversions per se. What with large financial institutions and banks failing more instability is likely to follow. I do not anticipate this changing any time soon, so in actual fact it may not be related to the nuanced form of whether or not the conversion was performed by any specific conversion company or individual, liked or otherwise. Ofcourse the prices of vehicles in auctions can fluctuate due to a variety of factors, including changes in supply and demand, the overall health of the economy, consumer preferences and trends, the condition and rarity of the vehicle, and other market-specific factors. Demand can be driven by many factors such as consumer preferences, cultural trends, and the financial health of collectors and investors. Overall, auction prices are largely driven by supply and demand, and the complex relationship between these two factors can lead to significant fluctuations over time. Its nothing new, we are just at a different point now in the cycle. I don't need to mention to many people just how much Ai is rapidly changing the landscape... Just at a phenomenal pace! One final thing on this I would say as I've always said before convert a car for enjoyment of the car, don't do it to make $$$. Your probably a bit late to that party, if you make any consider that a bonus, not a god given right!
The market is definitely cooling off in general, but decent mileage/half sorted F1 cars are still not back to $100k. Sure, this can change in time. The 23k mile red converted coupe that sold for $130.5k plus fees on BaT not too long ago was a car that I was very interested in bidding on, but ultimately the seller was anything but transparent and I believe that was reflected in the price. He only seemed interested in engaging with comments that he thought helped his listing, and ignored most everything that was of any substance. I could go into specifics, but no sense in whipping a dead horse. When buying a car sight unseen you do not need every question to be answered by the seller in the way you hope, but you do need transparency. Once that's gone the price takes a hit to account for that additional risk. For the converted spyder, I don't know, I'm not in that market. Unless it was significantly under market value I would only want a coupe. I don't think there's any issue with EAGs quality, but instead their reputation for how they conduct business. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a converted EAG car, but I would pause to send them my car. Just my opinion. I hope they continue to improve their reputation. I have no problem with DIY kits/installs with a competent owner. It at least shows that they most likely maintain the car. What I do think might have a larger effect on the market is all of the DIY installs with E-Diff deletes. Having a mid-engine 500ish hp car with an open diff is completely asinine. When inquiring with an owner of a converted car and they have no idea what you're talking about, it doesn't instill paying top dollar IMO. We'll see how it plays out, but I'm glad that more options are available to us who want to convert our own cars. ETA... 360trev... do you offer flashing options for those going the DIY route? Maybe the best of both worlds for the DIY crowd that isn't necessarily going that route only to save.
